Comic Books (collector, buy, prices, shops)

[Rathagos]

I have a bunch of comic books (about 200) I've collected over many years (some back from the early 60's). Most are probably not worth much, but as a collection, I might have some that are worth a little more than the cover price.

I have been going out of my head trying to find a place (maybe online) where someone can value my comics so I can sell them.

Does anyone know someone or a site that I might be able to go to to get an evaluation of them? I spent 3 hours yesterday typing them all up in a Word document.

Thanks!!

Rath

[Cecilia_Rose]

You would be surprised what some of the older comics are worth. Im not up on comics but heres a couple links to some peeps who might be able to help you.

The first is a forum. If you join maybe you could ask for help. They also list comic book conventions. You can go to the convention and sell to the dealers. Just remember dealers dont pay top dollar.

Comic Conventions and Shows - The Comics Corral

This ones an online seller. You will need to look for some more online sellers and can get more than one price. Some online sellers are way over priced. This one has a RL store in Texas too.

Wizard World Texas Convention Program comic books

[paramour]

My father used to have a couple of books that valued comic books in various conditions (mint, used, etc.). Sort of like the kelly blue book for cars but for comic books--you looked up the comic book, year, issue, etc., and it returned the price range. It's been several years, however, so I haven't the slightest idea of what they were called. Perhaps check your local comic book store?

[candygram4mongo]

Get yourself a copy of Overstreet's comic pricing guide. If you have decent library nearby, you won't have to buy it.
That will give you a sense if you have anything valuable or just colorful paper.
In either case, once you know what you have, divide the collection into manageable lots and post the lots on ebay, with a nice photo of each, and a description and quality rating.
You can set a reserve minimum if you like.
If you search comics on ebay, you can see how others do it.

You could go to the comic store to sell them, but you'd be lucky to get more than 25% of the price listed in the guide. Of course you save yourself the trouble of shipping.
On ebay, the market should get you more than that if what you have is at all interesting.

I actually need to do this with my collection.
One of these days I'll get to it.
One of these days.......

[Rathagos]

Thanks everyone... I found an online price guide and found that several of them were worth something (one Superman I had is worth $450). I had these put away for so long I even forgot I had them. Was going through my old storage shed when I found them.

I appreciate all your inputs and will probably go the Ebay-route. Put the expensive ones on, and the rest as a bulk thing.

Thanks again!!

Rath

[Downtown Dave]

I have a couple of boxes of comics that I really want to get rid of. I always assumed there would be a nephew or other youngster that would be interested in comics that I would give them to.

Unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet. I don't even know if kids still collect comics. Do they just view them on the computer or do they just buy the book versions?

So, they continue to sit in my closet. I'm trying to figure out what to do with them.

1. Sell them? Too much work - it seems like prices have plummeted.
2. Donate them? - I would kind of like them to someone who will take care of them. Being a former baseball card collector, I was semi-obsessed with quality.

If anyone has some ideas on what I should do with these, please let me know. I will list what I have to get an idea.

Daredevil
194
204
208 – 209
251
254
265 – 268
279 – 282
284 – 286
306

Spawn
1 – 28
Spawn/Batman
Angela 1
Violator 1 – 3

Amazing Spider-Man
222
229 – 230
237
240 – 241
255 – 256
263
267
269
272 – 274
277 – 280
282 – 284
289
292 – 293
297
307
313
319 – 322
324 – 327
332 – 340
342 – 343
345
348 – 360
362 – 393
395 – 400
Annuals 18, 20 – 21, 24 – 28

Spectacular Spider-Man
2
29
65
85
88
90
92 – 93
95
97 – 98
100
106
118 – 119
123 – 125
129
131 – 135
137 – 144
146 – 147
149 – 152
154 – 155
158 – 162
164 – 169
173 – 175
178 – 180
182 – 183
185 – 187
189 – 223
Annuals 8, 10 – 14

Spider-Man
1 – 57

Uncanny X-Men
98
107
116
123 – 125
134
138 – 139
141
143 – 154
156
158 – 196
198 – 207
209 – 223
225
228
230 – 233
237 – 238
241
244 – 247
249 – 254
256 – 270
272 – 321
Annuals 6 – 9, 11, 14 – 18
X-Force 16 – 18
X-Factor 84 – 86
Rogue 1 – 4
Astonishing X-Men 3
The Amazing X-Men 3
X-Men Alpha 1

X-Men
1 – 41
Annuals 1 – 3

Simpsons
Bartman [3]
Itchy & Scratchy [3]
Radioactive Man [6]
Simpsons Comics [8]

[ferretkona]

I sold about 40,000 comics from as far back as 1960 last year. I got $1000.
I did cull out a few hundred of comics I knew would be worth money when the economy gets better.

[Downtown Dave]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

I sold about 40,000 comics from as far back as 1960 last year. I got $1000.
I did cull out a few hundred of comics I knew would be worth money when the economy gets better.

Wow. That is only 2.5 cents apiece. The cardboard backing and mylar bag is worth that much.

What exactly happened to the comic book market? Is it because in 1990 the only way to read a back issue was to buy the old, expensive comic. Whereas, today kids can just buy the series in book form [or check them out at the library] or just look at them on the Internet?

[ferretkona]

There really has never been a comic book market.

We all have dreamed about when they had that TV episode 20 years ago with Mark Hamill where he was a packrat and had a Amazing #1 that sold for one million bucks.
The reality is kind of the same as the fate of most comics - they get thrown away! People do not want them. They are only worth what a buyer will pay for them.
I have friends who owned their comic book stores and they all say, if you can sell it today and get what you paid for it _ grab it. I sold about 40,000 comics in 1993 and got $4000. They said even then 10 cents for a $1.00 comic was good money.

I never have paid for boards and bags except for a couple shops I never returned to.
The comic book store pays 50 cents on the dollar for each comic. A store that values you will give free boards and bags plus give you a 10% discount.

[Cyborgt800]

The whole collectible market went South when businesses started CREATING collectibles. Everyone started keepsaking everything so now things in mint condition are a dime a dozen. The whole reason the older stuff went up in value was that so little survived play, storage and time.
My redline Hotwheels had their wheels ground off, became BB gun fodder in later years or passed down to cousins. Comics were colored in, traced, cut out, rolled up in back pockets, read and trashed.

If you want to buy a "collectible" now, just buy a toy that is well known yet bombed at the stores...those are the ones that will have few survivors.